Cancelled sessions are not rescheduled due to inclement weather.
The office will only cancel games if the City of Kitchener closes the fields. This would be done by 4:30 pm at the latest. You can visit their website – City of Kitchener Sports Field Closures, or call the city’s direct number for field closures at 519-741-2345.
Canada Soccer and Ontario Soccer require a game to be delayed or suspended for 30 minutes if thunder is heard or lightning is seen. If during the 30 minutes of suspension thunder/lightning is heard/seen again, the 30 minutes restarts.
Outdoor Weather Cancellations
U3-U6
The U3-U6 divisions do not have referees, therefore, it is up to the coaches to cancel sessions unless the City of Kitchener has closed the fields. We will do our best to post all field closures on our website, but if in doubt, call the field closure line at 519-741-2345 or check the City of Kitchener Field Closure website to see if fields have been closed. Once a game begins, both coaches must agree to cancel the game unless there is thunder and/or lightening. If you hear thunder or see lightening, refer to the Canada Soccer Lightening Safety/Severe Weather Policy below.
U7-U18
Rain, thunder and lightning in your area of town doesn’t mean the weather is inclement where you’re scheduled to play soccer. You should always show up for your games/practices, as they are not rescheduled due to rain. Only the referee has the authority to cancel a game due to weather. If there is no referee, the coaches will decide if the session shall be played. Any game played into the 2nd half will be counted as played and scores will stand. Any game cancelled due to weather will be recorded as a 1-1 tie.
Canada Soccer Association (CSA) Lightning Safety / Severe Weather Policy
Canada Soccer and Ontario Soccer require a game to be delayed or suspended for 30 minutes if thunder is heard or lightning is seen. If during the 30 minutes of suspension thunder/lightning is heard/seen, the 30 minutes restarts.
When thunder roars, go indoors!
The safety of players, coaches, management and spectators is the primary concern in any weather event that occurs during all matches sanctioned by Canada Soccer. By understanding and following the below information, the safety of everyone shall be greatly increased. Ultimately, the referee has the final say over delaying or restarting a match due to weather. Waiting to stop play or not waiting to start play may result in a serious injury or loss of life. Referees are expected to act responsibly when dealing with such events during matches they are controlling
If you can hear thunder, you can get hit by lightning. As soon as you hear thunder, quickly get to a safe location. More people are struck before and after a thunderstorm than during one. Stay inside for 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.
Additional Information
Please note the following recommendations from Environment Canada:
• To plan for a safe day, check the weather forecast first. If thunderstorms are forecast, avoid being outdoors at that time or make an alternate plan. Identify safe places and determine how long it will take you to reach them.
• Watch the skies for developing thunderstorms and listen for thunder. As soon as you hear thunder, quickly get to a safe location. If you can hear thunder, you are in danger of being hit by lightning. More people are struck before and after a thunderstorm than during one.
• Get to a safe place. A safe location is a fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing. Sheds, picnic shelters, tents or covered porches do NOT protect you from lightning. If no sturdy building is close by, get into a metal-roofed vehicle and close all the windows.
• Do not handle electrical equipment, telephones or plumbing. These are all electrical conductors. Using a computer or wired video game system, taking a bath or touching a metal window frame all put you at risk of being struck by lightning. Use battery-operated appliances only.
• If caught outdoors far from shelter, stay away from tall objects. This includes trees, poles, wires and fences. Take shelter in a low-lying area but be on the alert for possible flooding.
Be aware of how close lightning is occurring. Thunder always accompanies lightning, even though its audible range can be diminished due to background noise in the immediate environment and its distance from the observer.
When larger groups are involved, the time needed to properly evacuate an area increases. As time requirements change, the distance at which lightning is noted and considered a threat to move into the area must be increased.
Know where the closest “safe structure or location” is to the field or playing area and know how long it takes to get to that safe structure or location. Safe structure or location is defined as:
• Any building normally occupied or frequently used by people, i.e., a building with plumbing and/or electrical wiring that acts to electrically ground the structure. Avoid using shower facilities for safe shelter and do not use the showers or plumbing facilities during a thunderstorm.
In the absence of a sturdy, frequently inhabited building, any vehicle with a hard metal roof (not a convertible or golf cart) and rolled-up windows can provide a measure of safety. A vehicle is certainly better than remaining outdoors. It is not the rubber tires that make a vehicle a safe shelter, but the hard metal roof which dissipates the lightning strike around the vehicle. Do not touch the sides of any vehicle!
If no safe structure or location is within a reasonable distance, find a thick grove of small trees surrounded by taller trees or a dry ditch. Assume a crouched position on the ground with only the balls of the feet touching the ground, wrap your arms around your knees and lower your head. Minimize contact with the ground because lightning current often enters a victim through the ground rather than by a direct overhead strike. Minimize your body’s surface area and the ground! Do not lie flat! If unable to reach safe shelter, stay away from the tallest trees or objects such as light poles or flag poles), metal objects (such as fences or bleachers), individual trees, standing pools of water, and open fields. Avoid being the highest object in a field. Do not take shelter under a single, tall tree.
Avoid using the telephone, except in emergency situations. People have been struck by lightning while using a land-line telephone. A cellular phone or a portable remote phone is a safe alternative to land-line phones, if the person and the antenna are located within a safe structure or location, and if all other precautions are followed.
When considering resumption of any athletics activity, wait at least thirty (30) minutes after the last flash
of lightning or sound of thunder before returning to the field.
Heat Advisory
In the event of a heat advisory, the referee or coach overseeing the session should incorporate additional water breaks. Proper hydration starts before even stepping on the field. Please ensure that your child has had plenty of water to drink prior to coming to soccer.
Indoor Weather Cancellations
The only time Indoor programming will be cancelled due to weather, is if the City of Kitchener closes Budd Park. We will communicate any field or building closures to you via the email you used to register in Power Up. If you unsubscribe from our emails, you will not be notified. Canceled sessions will not be made up and a refund will not be issued.